Merciless
by Aggie Escott
Summary: Hotch is just back to work after 'escalation' The team investigate a seties of torture killings, while Hotch tries to come to terms with recent events
1. Breaking Up

**Merciless  
**Chapter 1  
Breaking up

_The Scars you can't see are the hardest to heal – Astrid Alauda_

Six faces smiled down at him from the evidence board. The first case since he'd got back to work, and he felt tired and alone. He had thought that the relationship with Emily was going to go somewhere, they had grown close in the hospital while he recovered from the worst abuse he had ever suffered. It seemed to him that she would be there for him now he was back at work. But it wasn't to be.

He sighed as he recalled the conversation that they had had over dinner the day before.

'You are too intense, I can't handle it.' she had said.

'How can I not be intense?' he had countered. 'I'm in love with you.'

She had screwed up her napkin and stood up. 'I'm sorry, Aaron. I didn't want to hurt you, but I can't keep up with you.'

Hotch had stood up and watched her leave the restaurant. He had called her later on to try to talk to her, but she had made up her mind.

He wondered if he had slept with her if things would have been different, but he wasn't able to sleep with her, he was still traumatised by his experience. Did Emily expect him to be the same after what he had been through? Was it the old Hotch that she had fallen for, or was it simply the 'hurt/comfort' syndrome, and now that he didn't need the comfort (in her eyes), he didn't need her.

He was at a loss as to why the relationship had broken down. He had been worried about how she would react to him on a professional level, and he reminded himself why he never had a relationship with a colleague.

Which left Reid. How was he going to tell him that even though he was no longer with Emily, he could never be with him.

-0-0-0-

Reid sat in the motel room with both hands clasping a cup of coffee. He was fighting the urge to cry. He knew that he must not cry here and now. Aaron had asked him to come to his room for coffee after work, and now they were both back at the BAU he knew that there were issues to address.

Aaron watched him from his seat on the other side of the coffee table. He knew that he could never love him in the way Reid wanted, and since they had been back at work, Reid had behaved impeccably. But Aaron knew that the feelings ran deep.

'I am so sorry, Spencer.' he said. 'It could never happen. Please understand that it is no reflection on you.'

A tear collected in the corner of Reid's eye and overflowed down his cheek. Aaron wanted to reach out to Reid and brush it away, but it would have sent conflicting messages to him, so he sat there and looked into his face.

'And if I have ever done anything to make you think otherwise, please forgive me.'

'I'm s-sorry.' Reid stammered. He reached across the space between them. Hotch leaned back everso slightly, but Reid noticed.

'It's ok.' Aaron said gently. 'I am flattered that you want me, really I am. But it can't happen.'

Reid stood up and walked round the back of the couch he had been sitting on.

'I understand, Aaron. I just hoped....... ' He looked at Hotch, his eyes awash with unshed tears and misery.

Aaron sighed. This was awful. He was still reeling from Emily's disclosure that once again, she didn't want a relationship with him, but when he was hurt, she mistook her feelings for love. And now this.

Well, he had known of Reid's crush. And he truly was flattered. But he couldn't let it carry on with Reid building bridges of hope that would collapse and break his heart.

'I need to go back to my room.' Reid said.

Aaron followed him to the door.

'Take tomorrow off work.' Hotch said, opening the door. Reid stepped outside into the rain. His Volvo was parked next to Hotch's SUV.

'I might.' Reid said, and fled to his room, leaving Aaron on the doorstep, feeling thoroughly wretched.

Emily.

He sighed a shuddering sigh. Why could he not find happiness?

He thought that what he had with Haley was happiness, but he had since realised that it wasn't happiness, so much as comfort. It was comfortable to come home from the horrors of his work to find her waiting for him. But love? He didn't think so.

He sat on the couch where Reid had been sitting and put his face in his hands. He felt bereft. Not only had he lost Emily, but he had hurt someone who was very dear to him. He picked up Reid's coffee and tasted it. It was sweet and hot, and he drank it down. Then he picked up the phone.

'Dave..... yes I told him...... devastated I think...... I'll see you tomorrow than.'

He put down the phone, picked up the coffee cups and took them through to the kitchen area. He rinsed the cups and put them away.

'Damn it!' he shouted. He was trying too hard not to let the conversation he'd had with Reid affect him. He grabbed his coat. He needed to take a walk, let the rain wash away the feeling that tumbled over each other to be recognised , too fast for him to do anything about.

He locked the door behind him and set off to walk around the block. The pavement reflected the city lights and he felt relaxed as he walked in the rain.

Things looked different at night, and he glanced up at the sky. The lights of the city drowned out the stars, but the moon was bright behind the parting clouds.

He walked out of the city towards the surrounding woodlands and hills. There were more stars visible here, and he paused to look up. The rain had stopped and the stars looked almost too bright.

It was so beautiful, he rarely had the chance to look at anything beautiful. His work was filled with the ugliest side of humanity, and it marred everything else he saw.

He saw misery and distress almost daily. He saw the innocent beaten down and the guilty roam free; for every UnSub either killed or imprisoned, there were three or four more out there enjoying the evil that they did.

His thoughts went back to the seven faces, and he turned and headed sadly back to the motel. Even looking on a thing of such obvious beauty like the starry night was blemished by his experiences, as he thought the same stars were shining down on a brutal killer.

He walked briskly through the wet streets back to the hotel. He felt strangely un nerved as if some one was following him. His footfalls seemed to echo in the wet. He sped up, fighting the urge to run. He glanced behind him, but there was no body there. Just shadows and reflections.

He was glad to reach his motel room, and he quickly stepped inside and locked the door behind him. He realised that he had been holding his breath, and he sat on the bed and tried to get some control of his breathing.

He was suddenly very tired. He got his gun and held it in his hand as he fell asleep fully dressed on the bed.

-0-0-0-

Hotch was the first person in to work the next day. Likely this was because he had said six thirty to the others and it was only five o'clock when he went into the office. Some of his best ideas came when he was alone, and he wanted to think about the case before anyone else arrived.

He looked at the six faces. Nothing seemed to connect them. Three men, three women, taken off the road in no apparent order, kept for a week, killed and dumped by the road side as if pushed from a car. They seemed to be crimes of opportunity, the victims being snatched while they were alone, in the early hours of the morning. His mind flashed back to his unsettling experience the previous evening. He rubbed at his eyes as if that would make the feeling go away.

He wondered whether any of the victims had been stalked before their abduction. He wrote on the evidence board:

STALKER?

Maybe they had mentioned it to their friends or family. He would get the team onto that first thing.

His mind went back to the victims.

They had not been sexually molested, but most of them had broken bones or dislocated joints. The autopsies showed that they had all been tortured to death in different ways. One, a man, had deep puncture wounds on his chest and abdomen, several of which would have been fatal. The pathologist had said the wounds were reminiscent of those made by an Iron Maiden.

Hotch shuddered. For all that he had been through, he still couldn't understand the mentality of someone who would build a torture chamber, and then use the instruments on living people.

Every job he had seemed to surpass the others in sheer brutality, but in truth they were all the epitome of evil. They all ended up with dead people – people who had loves and likes and lives to live. What could be more evil that snatching this away.

He heard someone coming up behind him, and he jumped, hand on his Glock.

'Uh.... morning Emily.' he said, feeling a little silly.

'Good morning Hotch.' she answered. '"Stalker" is a good idea. Especially as there was a few days between the body dump and the next abduction. Could be that the abductions were not opportunistic after all, and the victims were watched for several days first.'

'That's what I thought.' Hotch said. He decided not to mention his own experience of the night before. Now in the cold light of day he felt a little embarrassed by it.

All the team were in by six, and they were sitting around the table, Dave with his note book out, waiting for Hotch to begin.

'I wondered', he said, 'if the victims were followed or stalked before the abductions. Dave and Emily, Reid and Morgan, take two each and go talk to the families. I'll take the other two. See if any of them mentioned being followed or stalked the days leading up to the abductions, where they were, et cetera. It could give us more to go on in the geo-profile.'

The pairs each took two folders off the table. Hotch looked to see what ones he'd been left.

Two men – Terry Raymond and John Stretton. Both in their forties, Both tortured to death and dumped on the highway leading out of town. Or into town maybe.

He went to Raymond's family first. Unmarried, still living with his father, mother dead several years. He had been pressed to death, and had a shattered rib cage.

He knocked on the door. Geoff Raymond opened it. Hotch's mind briefly went back to the first time he had met Mr Raymond. He had been a tall well built man, powerful looking with a slightly florid complection. Now he looked the shadow of that man. It was always a shock how grief seemed to sap people of their life.

'Mr Raymond,' Hotch said. 'I just need to ask you something about the days before your son's abduction.'

'Oh yes, yes, come in, please Agent. I will help all I can.'

Hotch followed him into the neat clean kitchen. Raymond sat at the table and Hotch sat opposite.

'Would you like a drink?' Raymond said, starting to get up again.

'No, no, I won't take up much of your time. I was wondering if Terry had said anything about being followed on the days leading up to his disappearance.'

'You mean someone might have been watching him? He never mentioned it to me.'

'Ok, Mr Raymond, that is all I wanted to ask.' Hotch stood up. 'I'll leave you now, but if you think of anything, anything at all that might help, please get in touch.'

'I will, Agent. I have your card.'

Hotch went back to his car and drove about two miles along the road to the home of Debbie Smith, Terry's girl friend. If he didn't mention it to his father, he might have told her.

'Terry didn't go out in the dark.' she said. Her eyes were red and swollen with crying. 'And you wouldn't really notice in the day light, would you?'

John Stretton had lived alone, and didn't have a lover or close friend. He was essentially a workaholic, and spent long hours at his desk. Hotch went to his place of work and briefly interviewed his colleagues. But he had not been close to anyone at work, and no one knew anything about his private life.

He hoped that the others were having better luck.

He stopped the car in a park on the way back to the office, and bought a hot dog from a street vendor by the gate. He wanted to sit on the grass, but it was still wet from yesterdays down pour. He sat instead on the wooden seat by the pond, and threw his some of his bread in the water and watched the ducks eat it.

Someone sat on the other end of the bench. Hotch didn't really take any notice of them as he ate the sausage and threw the rest of the roll at the ducks.

He went back to his SUV and got in, wiping his hands on a wet wipe he kept in the car for when Jack rode in it.

The man on the bench watched him go.


	2. Stripped

**Merciless  
**Chapter 2  
Stripped

"_**One's **__**dignity**__** may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but it cannot be taken away unless it is surrendered**__**" - Morton Kondrake**_

The team gathered at two that afternoon to pool their findings. Hotch had discovered nothing new, and he was waiting in the office when the others returned. Emily and Dave were first back, and Dave went to make coffee while Emily sat with Hotch.

'I am truly sorry, Hotch.' she said. 'Please don't let what happened affect our working relationship.'

Aaron looked at her and felt the now familiar rush of emotion.

'I won't.' he said, biting his lip in a Reid like fashion. Emily smiled. Aaron wanted to take her in his arms and hold her, but he didn't. Dave returned with the coffee at the same time that Reid and Morgan returned.

'Both Danny Page and Jo Asper complained to their family that they thought they were being followed.' Reid said. 'Not for long, though, and neither gave a description.'

Hotch noticed how Reid avoided eye contact with him. He thought the dark shadows around his eyes were more pronounced than usual.

Had he been crying?

He tried to push the emotions way back, and concentrate on the case, but he was faced with someone who had hurt him, and another whom he had hurt.

'Aaron, are you feeling ok?'

It was Dave's voice cutting into his reverie – a reverie that he had no right to be experiencing, especially not now, not on a case.

He tried to focus.

'I'm fine.' he said. What came of your interviews, then?'

'Like Reid and Morgan, Both our women victims had been followed leading up to their abductions, but only for a day or two.'

'So our UnSub has been checking out his victims first. Possibly he has stalked others who were not suitable.' Hotch said. 'Have Garcia check police records of men and women who have been stalked in a ten mile radius. If we can find a reason why they were rejected, it could lead us to why our victims qualified.'

Reid was on his cell before Hotch had finished. Dave caught Aaron's elbow and led him away from the others.

'What's going on, Aaron? You are not with it today.'

'Dave, I shouldn't be working. I can't concentrate, and I am afraid that I might put someone's life in danger. I thought that I could cope but that last case has done more damage than I thought it had. I'm going to take some leave, starting tomorrow. Will you be all right with the case?'

Dave looked at Hotch in sad surprise. 'Yes, I'll be fine.' he said.

They wandered back to the rest of the team.

'Has there been any contact with the media yet?' Hotch asked.

There hadn't.

'So the only other thing is injecting himself into the investigation. Please ... uh... be on the lookout for that one.'

Morgan looked at Hotch quizzically. 'You all right, Boss?' he asked, a frown creasing his forehead.

Hotch's hand went to his head. 'No.' he said. 'I'm going to take some leave.'

Before anyone could ask anything, Hotch left the room, and went back to his SUV. He wasn't fit for work. He wondered if that would make Emily love him again. Ironically, he needed comfort now more than before when he was in hospital. He had just abandoned a case for the first time ever, and he felt wretched.

He sat behind the wheel of the car and rested his head on it, trying to come to terms with what he had begun to admit to himself. Was he too badly damaged to be the Unit Chief any more? Would he ever be fit for work again?

Had Strauss finally got her own way?

He drove back to the motel and went to his room. He realised that he was shaking, and he sat on his bed for a while trying to control it.

The pain was still in the background all the time, and suddenly, the shock and agonies of his abduction rushed back over him, and he thought that he was going to faint. He closed his eyes, but the dizzy feeling overwhelmed him, and he lay down on the bed.

He thought it likely that the team would want an explanation, and he laid there trying to decide what the explanation actually was. Too little sleep caused by bad dreams, constant pain, and emotional instability. He knew he would fail any psych exam the way he felt at the moment.

There was a mini bar in the corner, and he went there now, and took out a miniature of single malt. He wasn't a drinker as a rule, but he was increasingly finding it would calm his nerves.

That was new too, only since the last case.

He suddenly wanted Reid to talk to. He thought it very likely that he would come round to his room later.

The scotch burned its way dryly down his throat, and he poured another. He looked at his watch, needing a friend and realising to his dismay that the only friends he had were the BAU team – and they only by default. He topped up his glass with a third miniature and went back to the bed. He lay down and tried to think. What was happening to him? Why couldn't he cope?

He would talk to Dave in the morning. Dave he could trust to only be honest with him. His friendship with Dave was based on total confidence that he would be candid with him, when he couldn't be honest with himself.

He took another swig of the scotch and realised that it was going to go straight to his head. The alcohol was deadening the pain he was in, but he put the glass on the floor. If he was going to talk to Reid later, he didn't want to be drunk.

There was a knock on his door. He glanced at his watch – it was early for the team to be back.

He slowly got off the bed and went to answer it.

-0-0-0-

Reid was upset by Hotch's sudden departure. He hadn't seemed to have recovered fully, and although he seemed ok most of the time, Reid could see the pain in his eyes, and noticed the slight falter in his speech as if he had lost his confidence to lead the team.

Rossi was a good leader, but they all knew that he didn't want the job.

The new information that they had gathered was written up on the board, and Garcia had come up with some other names of people who had reported being followed over the period of time since the first abduction. They took some cases each and called the victims to see if they had a description. There were a lot of calls to make, and it took the best part of the afternoon. One man thought he could describe the stalker to a sketch artist, and one was despatched immediately. Once checked with the others, it could possibly be their first real lead

Or it could be a blind alley. Stalking seemed to be America's new favourite pastime, and Dave didn't hold out too much hope.

Garcia had also got them a list of all the museums within twenty miles that housed torture equipment. Rossi was surprised that there were so many – most of them were private collectors. He sent Morgan and Prentiss off to the locations to take a look at the exhibits, and talk to the owners. He and Reid finished the phone calls.

All Reid wanted to do was get back and see Hotch. He had accepted that there could never be a relationship between them, but he longed to be close to him, and fretted when he wasn't there. When the calls were finished, Reid asked Rossi if he could go to the motel and check on Hotch.

'He's not well, is he?' Reid said.

Dave sighed. 'That abuse he suffered has affected him more deeply than any of us could have known.' he said. He felt guilty himself. he knew most of the facts of what Hotch had been through, the beatings and the rapes, but he had seen Hotch bounce back so many times before, he expected him to this time too. But this time, he hadn't, and Dave, as one of Hotch's closest friends, if not the closest, should have recognised that this time it was going to be different. 'Let's drive back to the motel and see what's happening with him.' Dave said. There was nothing to do on the case until Prentiss and Morgan returned, and he had said for them to meet up at the motel later that night and collate results.

Dave drove through the darkening streets to the motel. He understood Reid's concern, and felt it himself, only Reid's was deepened by the love he had for Hotch; a deep intense love.

'He'll be ok, you know.' Dave said. 'He just needs a little more time.'

Reid nodded. He knew that Hotch would recover. He just hoped he would let him in and be there for him.

-0-0-0-

Hotch opened the door, expecting Reid to be there. The face he looked into he didn't recognise however. He took a step backwards into his room as he took in the shotgun held at chest level. Hotch's hand automatically went for his gun on his belt, only then remembering that the gun was on the night stand.

'We meet up close at last.' the man said. 'You expected someone to "insert themselves into the investigation", and I would hate to disappoint.'

One against one. The guy had the advantage, it being the shotgun. But Hotch didn't think it raised the odds too much against him. He made to walk away, and suddenly grabbed the barrel of the gun, pushing it to the side. The gun discharged and the shot went wide. Hotch twisted the gun in the others hands, trying to get him to let go. But he was stronger than he appeared, and he suddenly thrust the barrel forwards and caught Hotch between the eyes on the bridge of his nose. He staggered, and it was enough for the UnSub to get the upper hand again. He swung the gun round and hit Hotch on the right ear with the butt, and Hotch was down.

The man collected Hotch's gun from the night stand, and returned to the fallen agent, his gun touching Hotch's neck. He demanded the ankle gun.

Hotch bent frowards and took it off his ankle, and dropped it on the floor.

-0-0-0-

Rossi stopped the SUV out front of the motel rooms. He and Reid got out, and went to Rossi's room.

'I'll go get Hotch.' Reid said, and throwing his jacket and gun on Rossi's couch. He walked along the length of the row of rooms. As he got closer, he saw that Hotch's door was open, and he quickened his pace, happily anticipating being close to him again.

What he saw when he reached Hotch's room froze him on the spot for a split second.

Hotch was kneeling on the floor in the middle of his room with his eyes closed. The man standing behind him was holding a shotgun to the back of his head. Reid had walked in on an execution.

He ran forward.

'No! Don't shoot!'

Hotch opened his eyes in surprise. He shook his head ever so slightly as if to say, 'Stay back!' But Reid wasn't looking at Hotch.

The shotgun swung away from Hotch, and the weapon discharged. Reid saw the blood spray before he realised that he had been hit. He looked at Hotch and whispered,

'I'm sorry.... '

..... before falling forwards on his face.

Five doors away, Dave heard the shot. He un holstered his Glock and raced out of the room and along the frontage. As he grew closer, he slowed, and saw that Hotch's door was open. As he got closer, the door closed. He ducked behind a car, and trained his weapon on the door.

'Hotch! Reid!' he shouted. Very slowly the door opened again. Hotch stepped out onto the walkway. Dave noticed that Hotch had blood running from a wound on his nose, and was sprayed with blood. Hotch was carrying someone in his arms. It took Dave a second to realise that it was Reid. Dave went to run forwards to them, when another man stepped out of the room, his gun trained on the back of Hotch's head.

Hotch looked straight ahead, and walked to his SUV. At a sharp poke in the head with the gun, he opened the back door and put Reid on the back seat. He turned and tried to say something to the gunman, but the gunman hit him in the mouth with the barrel of the gun. Hotch staggered backwards, and dropped the car keys.

The gunman pushed Hotch against the car and pressed the barrel of the gun into his mouth and forced him down onto his knees. Hotch picked up the keys and stood slowly. He turned and unlocked the passenger's door. The gunman pushed him across so that he was in the driving seat, and he climbed in next to him.

Dave watched helplessly as Hotch drove the car out of the car park and onto the road.


	3. First Test

**Merciless  
**Chapter 3  
First Test

"_**Fail at love, and the other **__**tests**__** don't matter.**__**" – Richard Bach**_

Hotch dove out of the car park, acutely aware of the cold steel of the gun barrel pressed into his waist. He would have fought for control of the situation had it not been for the injured Reid lying across the back seat. Hotch's hands were sticky with the blood of his colleague, and Hotch was finding his hands sticking uncomfortably to the steering wheel. He could feel is own blood congealing on is face.

'He needs to get to a hospital. We could just drop....... '

He was cut off mid sentence by a viscious jab with the gun.

'He comes with us. He is my insurance that you will do as you are told.'

Hotch said, 'He won't be of any use to you dead.'

'You had better hope he lives than. Now shut it, and drive.'

The car was leaving the city now, and Hotch noticed that they were driving along the road where the bodies had been dumped. Hotch thought he was concussed, he was seeing double, and his nose hurt. He was afraid of telling this UnSub though. He couldn't leave Reid at his mercy, and he had no doubt that he, Hotch, would be killed if he couldn't drive. He closed his eyes briefly to push the feeling away. Reid needed him, and he wasn't about to let him down.

Hotch drove in silence for some time. He could hear Reid's rasping breaths over the sound of the car engine. Although it sounded bad, all the time Hotch could hear it, he knew Reid was still alive. Exsanguination was the greatest and immediate danger, and Aaron hoped that they would be stopping soon so that he could tend his wound. Even if all he could do was stop the bleeding.

Reid groaned as the car bumped off the road at the UnSub's orders. The car rattled down a dirt track for several miles until they came to a small lodge nestled in the trees.

Normally this would have been a perfect setting. The trees were green and verdant after the recent rains, and the lodge was inviting

But this wasn't normal. And to Hotch it seemed to exude foreboding.

'Get out…' the UnSub said. Hotch opened the driver's door and turned so that he was facing outwards. The UnSub pushed him out onto the track, and climbed out afterwards. He pushed Hotch with the barrel of the gun towards the door of the lodge.

'I need to check on Reid.' Hotch said, slowing down his walk and stopping short of the door.

'No you don't. You need to move.'

Hotch turned and faced his tormentor.'

'I want to check on....'

The UnSub hit him with the gun barrel straight in the face again, opening up the wound between his eyes. The blood cast off the barrel of the gun, and Hotch fell to his knees.

'I'm not sure that you realise just who is in control here.' he said. Hotch climbed unsteadily to his feet. 'Now move.'

-0-0-0-

Reid was aware that the car had stopped. Although he was still, and his eyes were closed, he wasn't unconscious, and he knew what was happening, including Hotch's plea that he be dropped off at a hospital. He shifted uncomfortably, and felt the squelch as the blood soaked seat moved beneath him.

His mind flashed back to what he had seen in the motel room, Hotch kneeling on the floor about to be executed. What had he walked in on? Why was the UnSub about to kill Hotch, then he didn't. The only variable being him, Reid.

So was Hotch still alive because he had shown up?

He heard the door of the car open, and felt hands under his arms. Roughly he was dragged out of the back of the car onto the ground, and he was pulled along. He opened his eyes to see who it was dragging him. He thought that it wasn't Hotch – Hotch wouldn't have been so rough, knowing the kind of pain that he was in – and he was right.

The UnSub took Reid through the door and into a large empty room. At least, Reid thought it was empty. He couldn't really look around properly without showing the UnSub that he was awake. He was lifted off the ground and dumped on a damp mattress. He groaned as he was shoved onto the small bed, and the UnSub realised that he was awake after all.

'Let me go to him.' Hotch said. His voice was soft but determined. Reid opened his eyes now and looked around. The room was lit with a single low wattage bulb and light didn't reach to the extremities of the room. He tried to move so that he could see Hotch, but the pain was too bad, and he just stared at the ceiling.

He heard a clanking of chains and Hotch was standing over him.

'I just want to see the wound.' he whispered to him. Reid looked up at him. Hotch touched the bloody hole in his chest, and carefully turned him on to his side and checked the exit wound. 'It's a clean through and through.' he said, and gently pushed Reid's hair out of his eyes. 'Try to lay still, to minimise blood loss. I'm going to try to get you out of here.'

'Us....' Reid said. 'Us out..... of here.'

'Enough now.' The harsh voice of the UnSub said. 'Get back over here.'

Hotch felt the chain around his waist tighten as he was pulled back across the room to the chair he had been sitting on.

'I haven't finished my examination.' he said, and pulled the chain back with both hands. He leaned over Reid again. Reid shakily raised his hand to Hotch's face.

'What.... happened?' he asked, touching the wound on the bridge of Hotch's nose.

'It's nothing, Spencer. Thank you for what you did back there.'

Reid managed a shaky smile. Hotch took off his jacket the best he could with his hands chained to the waist chain. He ripped it apart, and rolled the cloth to form a pad on Reid's wound.

'Hold it there, Spencer.'

The chain was pulled again. 'Get here now, or I will shoot him again.'

Hotch stepped away from Reid, realising that this kidnapper knew exactly how to make Hotch do what he wanted. The chains clanked as Hotch went back to the chair.

The UnSub was sitting on a couch facing the chair. He held the end of the chain that was around Hotch's waist, and he pulled it hard, making Hotch gasp in pain. The chair had straps attached to the arms and front legs, and these were now tightened around Hotch's wrists and ankles. Hotch struggled against the restraints but he was afraid of what he would do to Reid if he resisted too much. The arms of the chair was sticky, and Aaron thought that the chair had been used for other victims.

He then watched as he crossed the room and tied Reid to the bed by his wrist. He was in no condition to make a run for it, but this UnSub was taking no chances. Reid cried out as he was pulled into position, and restrained.

'Please, let him go.' Hotch said. 'You will still have me.'

The UnSub ignored Hotch's pleas, and left the room, turning out the feeble light as he went.

The room was plunged into darkness.

-0-0-0-

Dave was explaining to Morgan and Emily what had happened. Emily blanched as Dave told them about Hotch's injury, and that Hotch had been carrying Reid.

'I heard a gunshot.' he said. 'I think Reid has been shot. We might find a casing or even a bullet if we're lucky.

'There're some gravitational drops here.' Morgan said, looking at the drops of blood from Hotch.

'I have the bullet.' Emily said. The bullet was embedded in the door frame. Reid had been standing in the door way when he had been shot.

'Reid was unarmed. He must have had a good reason to show himself to an armed man.' Dave said. 'I believe that the UnSub was threatening Hotch, and Reid stepped in to distract him.

'These blood droplets are from a height of less than a metre.' Morgan said. 'It looks like Hotch was on his knees when he lost this blood.'

'Execution style.' Emily said, the clarity of her voice belying the fear she felt inside for her boss.

'It's no wonder Reid stepped in then.' Dave said. 'But why was the UnSub going to execute Hotch?'

'He needs someone more easily manoeuvred.' Emily said.

'And until he had shot Reid, he had no way of controlling Hotch.' Dave said. 'I think he is going to use Reid to ensure Hotch's non resistance.'

Emily prised the bullet from the door frame and put it in an evidence bag. 'I'll get this to ballistics. We might come up lucky.'

She called the CSU on her cell. She couldn't believe that this was happening. She so wanted to protect him, but his intensity was too much for her to cope with. She loved his empathy and tenderness, but she felt suffocated by his passion. And now this. What if something happened to him?

CSU answered the phone and she tried to keep her voice level as she called them out to the crime scene.

-0-0-0-

'Reid! Spencer! Can you hear me?'

Aaron's eyes were getting used to the tiny shaft of light where the moonlight was coming through the window, the blind slightly short of the window sill. He could see the outline of the cot where Reid was, and he could hear the ragged breathing, but he couldn't see him.

'Please, Reid, answer me if you can!'

He heard a faint groan from the cot, and he pulled ineffectually against the restraints around his wrists and ankles. It seemed that the chair was bolted down because he couldn't move it across the floor. The straps were tight against him, and no amount of pulling was going to free him.

'I cannot get to you.' Aaron said. 'If there's any way that you can get to me...... '

'Can't, Aaron...... can't move.... '

'Ok, I'll try something.'

Aaron began to try to rock the chair and loosen the bolts holding it down, but he imagined that past victims had done much the same, and there was no movement.

'I can't get free, Spencer.' he said. 'We are going to have to wait until the UnSub returns, and take the first chance we get.'

Deep down Aaron thought that their only chance lie with Dave. He knew what was happening and had seen the abduction.

Aaron concentrated on Reid's breathing, counting each breath, each time praying for the next one. Why did he have to come rushing in like that? He knew the answer. Loyalty to a colleague in trouble, and he was sure that Reid had saved his life. But he also knew that Reid had another reason to do what he did

'Come on, Dave.......' he whispered.

-0-0-0-

It was several hours later that the door opened again. Aaron had tried to talk to Reid, but he had said nothing more. At one point, Aaron thought that Reid's breathing had stopped, but it had slowed down as he fell into unconsciousness – at least that is what Aaron thought. He had pulled uselessly at the bonds holding him, to no effect.

Aaron had got used to the darkness, and had seen the blood stain on Reid's shirt increase. As soon as he heard the door open, he called out to his captor.

'I need to go to him. He's dying. Please let me go to him!'

The light was switched on, and Aaron closed his eyes against the glare.

'First', the UnSub said, 'I am going to explain why you are here.'

Aaron turned to him. 'Why? Why both of us?'

'I need strong healthy men and women for this work. Many I have found to be too.... how can I say..... too aggressive to my experiments, and were no good to me. You are the same, but I realised that with your friend over there, you have a weakness. If I do not use you, I will use your friend. How does that sound?'

Aaron didn't say anything. He understood only too well what the man was saying. He knew what the experiments were, and thought he would probably die during them. But Reid would not have to.

'Now let me go to him?'

The UnSub pulled a gun – Hotch's gun – from his pocket, and held it to Aaron's head as he loosened the straps around his wrists. Still holding the gun, he ordered Aaron to release his own ankles. Aaron stood unsteadily on his feet, and wiped the dried cracked blood from his face.

The UnSub stepped back.

'Now you can go to check up on him.'

Aaron ran across the floor to be beside Reid. He was still unconscious, but he was breathing steadily. Hotch pulled away the blood soaked remains of his jacket, and looked at the wound. The wound itself was not fatal, but the blood loss could be. He removed his shirt and tore a strip off of it, He made a bandage and tied it tightly around Reid's chest. Reid woke up and looked at him.

'It's ok, Reid. I'm just ch......'

'Shut up and hurry up.' the man said. 'We have work to do.'

Reid grabbed Aaron's wrist as he tried to tie the bandage as tightly as he could.

'Hotch..... so sorry...'

'You saved my.....'

Aaron couldn't finish the sentence. The chain around his waist was pulled hard and he stepped backwards.

'Get over here, and sit.' the man said.

Aaron gently touched Reid, and went back to the chair, where the UnSub strapped him down again. He pulled something from his pocket. Aaron's eyes widened.

'I could never understand how this thing could be effective.' he said. But before I enter it into my exhibition, I really need to see it working.'

Aaron looked at the thing that the man was holding up in front of him. Then he screwed his fingers into a fist and tried to pull away as the man fitted the contraption onto his fingers. The metal was tight against Aaron's fingers, and he bit down on his lip in terrified anticipation.

All the muscles in Aaron's body stiffened as adrenalin wound its way uselessly through his veins. The man screwed it down and Aaron's hand was trapped.

'Apparently', he said, 'all I need to do is turn this.' and he turned a lever on the top of Aaron's hand.

Aaron screamed as bones crunched.


	4. Declarations

**Merciless  
**Chapter 4  
Declarations

_**There is no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved. ~Charles Morgan**_

The metal tightened on Aaron's hand, and blood spurted from between the metal plates and ran down the arm of the chair. The man turned the screw again, and Aaron rocked his head back as the pain consumed him. He felt bones break, and as it got too much for him, he fainted and slumped in the chair.

Reid watched and screamed for him to stop, begging the UnSub to take him instead, anything to free Aaron from this madman. When Aaron stopped screaming and passed out, Reid tried to get off the cot.

'Please leave him alone. Please take me. I am younger than him. I am a better test subject.'

The UnSub loosened the hand screw from Aaron's hand. It was dripping blood and the fingers were crushed. He moaned as the movement of his shattered hand penetrated his unconscious mind. The man placed the crusher in his bag, and retrieved a small bottle. He held the bottle under Aaron's nose and he woke with a start.

He opened his eyes slowly and looked into the eyes of his tormentor

'Please let .... Reid go.' he said softly. 'He needs ..... t-to be in ....hospital.'

He looked down. The pain from the broken hand seemed to ebb and flow like a tide, and his head was swimming in agony. But he knew that this was just the start. He looked across at Reid. Their eyes locked.

'Let him go, ....you will still ....have me.'

'Not a chance.' the man grinned. 'I have plans for both of you.'

-0-0-0-

Emily was sitting in her motel room staring into space. Dave had sent her home for a rest when she said that her broken concentration was due to lack of sleep. Really though it was because all she could think about was Hotch. Had she been to hasty to end their relationship? The feelings she was now getting felt like love, and the fear she was feeling for Hotch's life was real enough. She couldn't sleep. All she could do was think of Aaron, and hope that when he was back, (the idea that he could be lost was unthinkable) he would accept her back again.

She picked up her phone and called the CSU lab, to see if there was anything on the slug that she pulled out of the wall in Aaron's room. She was fairly certain that this had hit Reid. There was a large bloodstain on the floor of the room right by the place where she found the bullet.

'The bullet is not a match to any other cases.' he told her. 'We have no match.'

'Ok, thank you.' Emily broke the connection.

There was no way she was going to sleep. She decided to go back to the office that they were using. Maybe they were having some luck with the artist's impression.

-0-0-0-

At that moment, Dave and Morgan were looking at the artist's sketch. It was of a middle aged man, strong jaw and wide set eyes. It wasn't very detailed. The witness had seen the stalker but had been nervous and hadn't remembered too much. Morgan and Dave were showing the sketch around the places where the victims had been just prior to their abduction. They were at Swains, the night club where Jo Asper had been.

'He looks familiar,' the barman said, 'but we have that many people coming through here, i wouldn't be able to give you a date or time. Sorry.'

Dave left his card, and he and Morgan showed the picture to some of the revellers. Most were too intoxicated to see straight, let alone recognise the picture. After half a dozen or so, they left the club. As they were walking away, they heard someone running after them. One of the party goers was following them out. This one seemed sober.

'Can I have a look please?' he said.

Morgan took out the drawing and showed him it. The young man looked at it intently, and said,

'It could be the man I had an altercation with a week or so back. I think it was a Saturday about five or six weeks ago.'

'What was the altercation about?' Dave asked.

'He was watching a girl dance, and I got in his way. He was downright nasty.' he said. 'I moved – I didn't want to get stabbed.'

'Was this the girl he was watching?' Dave said, producing a photo of Jo.

He took the picture and looked at it. 'Could be.' he said. 'I can't be a hundred per cent certain, but it could be.'

'Was there anything else about the man you can tell us?' Morgan asked.

'Nothing comes to mind.' he said.

Morgan gave him a card. 'If you think of anything else, let me know.'

They left the man as he put the card in his wallet.

'Looks like this is our man.' Dave said as they got into their SUV. 'The man who has Hotch and Reid. It's a pity I couldn't see his face when they were taken. But he had his back to me the whole time.

They started the car and drove out of Swains car park.

-0-0-0-

Hotch was using all his energy to remain conscious, although the pain was excruciating. The man produced something else from his bag. He held it close to Hotch so that he could see it.

'Iodine.' he said. 'I don't want you dying too soon.'

Aaron looked at the bottle in horror. As the liquid was poured onto his hand, the resulting pain tore through him like a knife, touching every fibre of his body. He screamed again, passing out quickly as the brown liquid diluted the blood dripping onto the floor.

Reid struggled, desperate to help the man he loved, willing to take anything if it meant freeing Aaron from more pain. The gunshot wound felt like a deep heavy ache now, and it all but consumed him. But there was part of him that could think about Aaron. He felt a little hot and flushed, and he wondered if his wound was infected.

The man came across to him with the iodine, and pulled back the bandage that Aaron had made.

'I was going to put Iodine on your wound.' he said, 'but I think it's too late now.'

Reid looked up at him with wide glazed eyes. 'Please would you .... let me g-go to him.....' he pleaded.

'No.' he answered shortly. 'But I will awaken him and he can come to you.'

He returned to Aaron and smacked his face hard. Aaron groaned as his head rocked to the side. The man knelt down and released Aaron's ankles, then he stood and unbuckled his wrists.

'You can go to your friend.' he said. Aaron stared at him, not understanding.

'I have released you. You can go to your friend.'

Aaron continued to stare at him as he struggled to his feet. He moaned in pain as he pulled his mangled hand away from the chair where it had stuck with his blood. He held the hand against his chest and nursed it as he stumbled forwards towards Reid. He had covered a little under half the distance when he fell to his knees and crawled the rest of the way, the chains clanking, leaving a trail of blood.

He didn't look around as the light was turned off and he heard the sound of the door closing. He reached the cot and pulled himself up. He was at the extent of the chain, and he had just enough to sit on the side. He blinked in the darkness.

'Reid.' he whispered.

'Aaron!' Reid responded, his voice tearful and broken. He reached up in the darkness and touched Aaron's face. Aaron rested his face on Reid's trembling hand, feeling his love but in too much pain to deny it.

Reid's hand dropped away.

Aaron carefully held his broken hand against his chest, and searched for the restraint that was holding Reid to the cot. It was a metal ring around his wrist. Aaron felt his blood sticky around the ring which was tight onto his skin. The ring was attached to a chain.

'Can't free you.' he said.

Aaron touched Reid's face. It was hot and sweating. Aaron suspected that he had an infection in the wound. Reid's breathing was harsh and laboured. Aaron pushed his hair back off his face.

'I'll get you........ ' His sentence was cut off with a fit of racking coughs. Reid reached up and held onto his shoulders and gently pulled him down onto the bed, where he put his arms around him and held him tight.

'I love you, Aaron Hotchner.' he whispered. Aaron didn't hear. He was unconscious.

-0-0-0-

The Unsub allowed the two men to be together all that night. He wanted to assess their closeness, and in the morning when he entered the room, he was surprised and delighted by what he saw. They were together, Reid's arms around the older man, his face in his hair, against his neck. Both men were comatose, but he had seen enough. His allowing them to have contact had paid off. Now he knew how to control Hotchner completely.

He pulled Hotch away from Reid with a handful of hair. Aaron's eyes opened slowly as he came around, and remembered where he was. Reid's hands fell away from him as he was dragged off the bed.

'Back to your chair.' he said, and Aaron half crawled half dragged back across the room where he was half lifted into the chair. Reid whimpered as he reached out for Aaron and he was no longer there. Aaron couldn't resist as he was strapped to the chair again. He cried out as his broken hand was once again strapped to the chair. Through the fog of pain he thought he heard Reid calling for him, but he might have been imagining it.

Reid was gripped by a fever. His temperature was rising slowly and he wasn't sure where he was. He only knew that Aaron was in danger and he needed to help him. He called for him again. The UnSub pretended to ignore it although he was listening and thinking of ways to use him.

He pulled Aaron's head up by his hair. In his hands he had a simple iron ring with a tightening screw on it. He pressed the ring onto Aaron's head, across his forehead and around the back of his head. He pulled the hair out of the way so that the ring was against his head the closest possible.

'This is a head crusher. I believe that it can be fatal as it crushes your brain. But I don't want to kill you yet, just test the devices efficiency.

Reid cried out Aaron's name in his delirium. The man left Aaron and went back to Reid.

Reid was thrashing back and forth in his pain and fever, calling out Aaron's name.

'What is it you are saying?' the UnSub said, listening carefully to his words.

'Aaron..... I love you.... Please.......'

'You love him? I thought as much when I saw you when I came in today.' he said. 'Tell me more.'

Reid didn't know what he was saying, crying out for Hotch and crying tears for him.

The man smiled. This was going to be more fun than he thought. Originally only to test his torture devices, but now, he could play mind games and mentally torture him. He wondered if the love went both ways. Well, he would find out.

he went back to Hotch, leaving Reid thrashing on the cot whimpering and gibbering. Aaron was slumped forwards again, semi conscious. The iron ring was still on his head.

He turned the little wheel half a turn.

Hotch cringed away from him, but he didn't make a sound. He turned it again, this time he got a result. Hotch cried in pain as the band tightened. The next turn, the ring tore into his skin, and he shrieked again. Blood ran down his face into his eyes and mouth. Hotch took a breath as if to cry in pain, and he breathed in blood and broke into a coughing fit that all but ripped his lungs. Blood soaked into his hair at the back. Another turn would crack his skull like an egg, and probably kill him. He turned the wheel just a fraction. The band cut down to the bone, and blood poured out like a thick red waterfall. It was highly satisfying. But he didn't want him dead yet.

He loosened the band one turn but left it on his head

He went back to Reid. This was where the fun would really start. The young man was still in a delirium, whimpering and muttering about love and Aaron.

He smiled to himself as the beginnings of a plan started to take shape in his head.


	5. The Plan

Merciless  
Chapter 5  
The Plan

"_**A good plan is like a road map: it shows the final destination and usually the best way to get there." – H Stanley Judd**_

He yanked the ring from Aaron's forehead, starting up the bleeding again. Aaron watched him through a mist of blood in his eyes.

'Let him go.' he said.

The man grinned at him. He crossed the room to Reid.

'Are you two lovers?' he asked.

'No.'

Reid was moaning and talking under his breath. Aaron could hear his name. The man pulled back the bandage and gently rested his hand on Reid's wound. Reid's body went rigid and his mouth opened in a silent scream. Aaron struggled in his restraints.

'Stop it! Stop hurting him!'

'Are you his lover?'

'No. Now leave him alone.'

The man pressed down on Reid's chest. Pus and blood squirted out between his fingers. Aaron watched horrified as Reid tried to turn away from the agony.

'For god's sake, leave him alone. You have me, now leave him!'

The man laughed, and pressed harder. Reid screamed, and the sound tore into Aaron's heart.

'Are you lovers?'

'He is my friend and col......'

Reid screamed again as the pressure was increased.'

'Why are you denying it? He loves you? Why do you deny him?'

'We are not....'

His words were drowned out by Reid's cries of agony.

'Why do you need this? What difference does it make?' Aaron pulled against the straps holding him. His hand was a bloody pulp but even that pain was nothing next to seeing Reid tortured in front of him. 'Please, stop. I'll do anything.'

'Are you lovers?'

'Ok, yes. If that's what you need to hear to stop. I'll be anything you want. Now stop hurting him.'

The man turned at last from a cringing delirious Reid, and crossed the room to Aaron. The man formed a double fist and punched Aaron's face with all his strength. An arc of blood flew from his forehead and struck the man. Aaron's face was a bleeding mess. He could barely see through the blood in his eyes. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

'What do you want from me?' he whispered softly.

'You are going to prove to me that you are lovers.' the man said. 'Your word is worth nothing.'

He took the bottle of iodine and poured some onto a cloth. He wiped the cloth across Aaron's injured forehead. Aaron fainted with shock and pain.

'You are pathetic!' the man said scornfully. He released the ankle straps first and then the wrist straps. Aaron's unconscious body slid from the chair onto the floor. He kicked him in the stomach and groin and left him moaning and writhing in a pool of blood.

Then he went to Reid. There was just one thing restraining him – the band around his wrist. But he was in no condition to move. The man dragged him over to where Aaron was lying.

He placed his foot on Reid's suppurating wound, and then he woke Aaron with a smack to the face. Aaron opened his eyes slowly.

'You are lovers? Now prove it.'

Aaron looked from the man to Reid in horror.

'I lied. We....are not.... lovers.'

He pressed down his foot on Reid, who whimpered softly.

'Liar! Show me what you do, you filthy pervert.'

'You w-want me to rape him? You are madder than I thought.'

Aaron got onto his knees and made an effort to stand. The man kicked him down again. Aaron tried again. This time the kick made no allowances for a third attempt.

'Kiss him.' the man demanded.

'No.'

The man pulled Reid's hair, dragging him over so that he was lying prone in front of them.

'Kiss him.'

'I will not violate him.' Aaron said.

The man reached for his bag and removed a metal object. Aaron didn't know wha it was, but hew braced himself for more torture. The man however left Aaron, and removed the shoe and sock of Reid's right foot. That was when he found the prosthetic foot that Reid was wearing. He removed it and threw it across the room. He then removed the shoe and sock from the other foot and knelt down so that Aaron couldn't see what he was doing.

'Leave him alone! You animal. You have me, don't touch him!'

'This device is a toe screw.' the man said. He fitted it over Reid's foot. 'Now kiss him.'

The man turned the screw a little, and Aaron saw Reid stiffen.

'Ok I'll kiss him.' Aaron said shakily. 'Take that thing off him, and I'll do what you want.'

'You do what I want, and then I'll remove it. Kiss him now.'

Painfully, holding his shattered hand against his chest, Aaron crawled to Reid. He turned his head to the side.

'I am so sorry Reid.' he whispered to him, and he gently kissed his face.

'Now remove his clothes.'

Aaron felt rage build up inside him as he unfastened Reid's buckle of his belt. With difficulty, using one hand, he pulled Reid's trousers off and laid them to one side. Reid was unconscious, and didn't move.

'Now screw him.'

Aaron turned to the man.

'No I won't.'

The man turned the toe screw, and Reid groaned.

'This thing will crush his toes, Hotchner. Now do as you are told, and screw him. You should be used to it.'

Aaron couldn't take it any more. He stood and staggered towards the man who was kneeling at Reid's feet. He tried to attack the man, but he was weak and injured, and had no chance. The man punched his hand and Aaron Howled in pain. Again the man hit him. Aaron rolled away from him, trying to protect his injuries, but failing to do so. The man kicked and punched him until he passed out, and only after beating his unconscious body a few times, did he finally leave him alone.

He poured what was left of the iodine onto Reid's chest., and he went to the door , turning out the light he left them on the floor of their prison.

-0-0-0-

Dave sent the picture to Garcia. He knew she was a miracle worker, and wanted to see if she could run the drawing against any other sketches she could find in the database.

'Priors would include torture and kidnap, possibly but not necessarily murder.

Garcia looked at the drawing doubtfully.

'I'll do my best.' she said.

That was enough for Dave. He had this lead, and that with the profile, should be enough. The list of places where torture instruments were exhibited, even the private collectors, had come up empty. None of the devices on show proved positive for blood, and hadn't been used recently. There was someone else out there who was just starting up. Emily was intent on her laptop.

'What are you looking for?' Dave asked.

'Those torture instruments must have come from somewhere.'

'Good thinking, run with it.' he said. Morgan and I are going to visit Danny Page's last known location.'

-0-0-0-

Aaron came round. He could taste blood in his mouth, and he spat it out. Slowly he looked around for the UnSub, before he realised that they had been left alone. He pulled Reid across to the cot where he had been lying, and awkwardly with one hand, lifted him onto it. The he sat on the side of the cot. Reid was no longer in restraints, but he still had the chain around his waist. They could not escape. He wondered how long they were going to be left alone.

He felt Reid's forehead. He was burning with fever, and was in a bad way. His wound was swollen with pus and needed to be cleaned. He picked up Reid's trousers and tore them up. He pressed down on the wound, releasing the muck that had built up. Reid was already in a coma, so was protected from the pain. Aaron cleaned the wound the best that he could with no water and clean cloths. He determined that he would offer passive resistance to the UnSub, and demand that Reid be taken to hospital. He had almost finished when the man came back. Aaron moved away from Reid and faced him.

'He is dying. Please, get him... to hospital.'

The man pulled hard on the chain holding Aaron. He fell forward onto the floor.

'Screw him and I will free him.' the man said.

'He is not my lover. ...he never has been nor .....ever will be..... If I do as you ask it's .....rape, and I will die first.'

Aaron rested his head down on the floor, eyes open, watching.

'Do you know what this is?' he said, holding up a new contraption.

Aaron refused to look at it. The man kicked him in the kidneys.

'Look at it, damn you.'

Aaron didn't move. He didn't know whether this latest device was for him or Reid. He hoped it was for him. He refused to co operate with this madman.

The man pulled Aaron by the hair across the floor to Reid again. He fitted the device on Reid's good foot and forced Aaron to watch. Slowly he began to crush the bones of the foot, but Reid didn't scream. He was comatose, and although the pain was getting through to him, he wasn't able to respond. The man removed it angrily.

'Get back to your chair, Hotchner.'

Aaron didn't move. He was dragged by the chain back to the chair where he was pulled onto it. He punched Aaron in the temple to daze him, and Aaron was strapped back down.

The man was angry. His plan hadn't worked. Hotchner was strong even in this state. He forced Aaron's foot into the iron holder, and he tightened the plates, as he had dome on Reid. Aaron was conscious, and the man got a response from him. Aaron pulled and fought against the straps, and pulled his feet away from the man. but as the plates tightened, and blood flowed between them, Aaron screamed weakly. As the bones in his foot ground together, the screams slowly died to be replaced with soft moans and cries.

When the man left him, he left his foot in the device and felt a new respect for this man who he couldn't break.

Aaron's head was thrown back, resting on the edge of the chair back. The pain in his foot was all encompassing, and the pain in his hand was secondary now. He lifted his head and looked to Reid, who wasn't moving.

'Spencer.' he called out as loud as he could. His throat hurt from screaming, and he couldn't call his name loud enough to be heard above the screaming pain.

'Please, Spencer.'

Reid heard the sound of the voice he loved deep in his safe coma. He pulled his way back, and turned his face towards him, eyes closed.

'Spencer, stay with me....... please.....'

'I'm here.' Reid said softly.

Aaron wanted to talk with Reid, to try to build up his strength, but he was exhausted with pain, and his eyes blurred in and out of focus.

'Reid, if I die, know that I'm sorry.' he said.

Reid allowed the tears to fall.

'Please don't say that. I love you, Aaron. Please don't die.'

Aaron couldn't say anything else. His own tears of pain, sorrow and angst were washing through the blood on his face. He had lost the energy to fight, and was losing the will to live. He wanted to tear off his foot which was crushed and bleeding, and his hand was lost. He knew that he wouldn't die from his wounds. None were fatal, but Reid's were.

'Stay with me Reid. Dave will come for us.'

He wanted to believe that. He wanted to believe that Dave and Morgan and Emily would find them. But he had no idea how they would. He pulled at the ankle restraints and shrieked at the pain that shot up through his body. He rested his head to one side and fainted.


	6. Endings

**Merciless  
**Chapter 6  
Endings

"_**If you want a happy ending, it depends of course when you end the story." – Orson Welles**_

Hotch was rambling with pain. The man had been away for a long time and he was thirsty and hungry, although he doubted that he would be able to eat. The device was left on his foot and the blood pool around his foot was growing as it bled more and more. He tried to concentrate on Reid, who was moaning in delirium.

'Spencer..... please, Spencer, stay awake.'

There was no response from him. Hotch was very afraid that he was at the end now, the poison coursing through his blood stream slowly killing him.

He stopped calling to him as he heard the door open. The man was back.

'I told you the consequences of disobedience when you first arrived here.' the man said. He went to Reid. Aaron held his breath.

'Do not touch him.' Aaron said. 'Let him go and I'll stay and do whatever you want. Just get him to a hospital before it is too late.'

'He is my leverage.' he answered. 'Pay attention now.'

Aaron could see that Spencer's eyes were open and staring up at the man. He felt a sudden rush of guilt that Reid was here. It was only through his intense love for Aaron that he was here at all. And he felt guilt that Reid was going to die for a love that he couldn't return. He felt hot tears as the man bent over Reid. He couldn't see what he was doing but he heard the thin scream of agony from Reid.

'Please.... that's enough....' Aaron sobbed, desperate to get the man's attention away from REID

'The man turned around ahd faced Aaron.

'I will give you another chance to consummate your love, otherwise this man is dead.

Aaron lowered his head. There was no decision to be made. He would not violate Reid.

'I will not do it. You will have to kill him.'

Aaron could hardly believe that the words came from his mouth. He couldn't do this wicked deed.

The man looked at Reid. 'Do you love this man?' he asked.

'Yes.' Reid said softly.

The man went to the other side of Reid's cot, lifted his head and punched him.

He didn't stop. He hit him as blood poured and spurted and traced arcs through the dim light. Aaron screamed at him to stop, but the man was enjoying beating Reid to death. At last he stopped, and dropped Reid back down.

Aaron was crying in rage as his own pain seemed insignificant compared with the pain of what he was witnessing. Reid's face was unrecognisable, and Aaron thought he was probably dead.

'There, he is finished. The guilt for his death is on your shoulders.' the man said. 'You will have to live with his death for the rest of your miserable life.

Aaron didn't speak. He didn't think the rest of his life would be very long, this man murdered with impunity, and Aaron expected to die at his hands. But the guilt for Reid's death consumed him. He watched in silent grief as the man released the chain from Reid's wrist and dragged him off the cot and onto the floor.

'I will now dispose of the carcase.' he said. 'See you later.'

He dragged Reid's body out of the room and closed the door. Aaron lowered his head and wept.

Should he have violated Reid to save his life? Would he have lived if he had? Could he have returned the love that Reid had had for him?

Tears mixed with the blood on his face and rolled down his cheeks. He wished that he could have died in his place. He wished that he could have loved him.

The room seemed silent without the sounds of Reid's breathing.

-0-0-0-

It was a long time before he was back. Aaron had long since stopped crying, and he sat with his head down, thinking about the times he had spent with Reid, not knowing of the feelings he had for him, unable to come to terms with his death. If only he could have loved him. If only Reid hadn't loved him.

'So now what?' Aaron said to the man when he returned. 'Nothing that you do to me can be worse than that which you have already done.'

'You came here to test torture instruments. That is what you will continue to do.' he said. 'I have to be sure that they work. Then I will kill you.'

He went to Aaron and examined his foot that was still clamped into the press. The blood had congealed around Aaron's feet now, and he turned the screw and tightened the plates. Aaron's body stiffened as the blood ran again and squirted through the holes in the plates. Then he stood back and looked at his captive.

Aaron was covered with blood and was pale and weak. The man was not sure how much longer he would last. He would have to hurry.

The piece of equipment that he now had in his hand looked simply like a six inch wide metal strip. He put his arms around Aaron and fastened the strip around his chest. Then he began to tighten it.

Aaron stared at him with wide open eyes. He couldn't breathe, and he tilted his head slightly and blinked slowly. His vision was becoming blurred as his mind fought to live when his heart wanted to die. He groaned softly as the pain increased, and spots danced in front of him. The pain of death was nothing to the pain of living. Without a further sound, he closed his gentle dark eyes and fainted.

-0-0-0-

'I have something!' Emily said, excitement in her voice.

Dave and Morgan were at her side in an instant.

'What have you found?'

'Look here.' Emily said, pointing to the screen of her computer. 'These torture devices have been purchased in this last year by the same person. I have a name, and an address!'

'This could be it.' Dave said excitedly. 'Have Garcia cross check the sketch with his drivers licence, let's see that we have the right man before we go in.'

Emily called Garcia and asked her to cross check. It was seconds later that she came back.

'It's the same person – Edward Kaye, aged thirty nine. The address is different though.'

'That's ok. I have a shipping address rather than a home address.' Emily said. She broke the connection and turned to the others.

'It's him.'

As they were about to leave the office, Dave's phone rang.

'We have found a victim of torture and beating.' the cop on the phone said. 'It could be one of your men, but he is too beaten up to identify. He's still alive, but only just.'

Dave sighed and told the others.

'We don't know if it's Reid or Hotch.' said Dave. 'He's on his way to hospital now, but it's touch and go.'

Emily felt a surge of fear followed by guilt. She tried to push her feelings to the back of her mind and keep her attention on her job.

If it was Hotch she wanted to be with him. She wanted to leave the others to be with him. Her mind was confused. She had dumped him, the best man in the world, because of his intense passion. But now he was in danger again, she couldn't stop thinking about him, and how she wanted to be with him.

She kept the thoughts to herself. She had blown her chances with Aaron. Now she had to live with that decision.

She silently got into the car next to Morgan. Dave got in the back.

-0-0-0-

Kaye loosened the band around Aaron's chest. Yes, it worked fine. Kept at that level of tightness it would eventually kill. But the idea of torture is to keep the victim alive throughout the ordeal to extract information or force a recant.

While his victim was unconscious, he removed the foot press. The foot was a bloody mess now. The skin was split and bleeding.

He woke Aaron up by smacking his bloody face.

'Don't die just yet.' he said. 'I have one last game for you. This one requires no special equipment, but I believe is very effective.'

Aaron was weak and shaking with grief and sorrow. His hands were pulled behind his back and cuffed. He cried out as his mangled hand was roughly forced into the manacles.

'Stand.' the Kaye said.

'Can't.' Aaron whispered. 'Help me.'

The man removed the chain the chain that was around Aaron's waist, and hooked the end on the cuffs, he pushed Aaron off the chair and he fell to the floor. The man stood on the chair and threaded the chain through a ring set in the ceiling. Holding onto the end, he got off the chair. He pulled Aaron upright, and pulled on the chain.

Aaron hung forwards as his arms were pulled up. His head fell forwards and his hair hung over his eyes. The muscles and sinews in his arms and shoulders screamed and twisted un naturally as he was pulled up until his feet just touched the ground.

Aaron's breathing came in harsh gasps as he struggled to breathe. Kaye raised Aaron's head so that he could look into his face. His hair was stuck to his bloody forehead where the ring had previously cut deeply into his skin. Aaron fought to open his eyes and face off his aggressor, but it was difficult to focus.

'What..... do you want?' Aaron gasped.

'I want your suffering. I am experimenting.' Kaye responded. He pulled the end of the chain and Aaron's feet left the ground. The stress on his shoulders suddenly became too much and there was a sucking sound as Aaron's shoulders dislocated. He screamed, his scream softening into pain filled cries as blood bruised his skin from ruptured vessels. He fainted, but this wasn't in line with Kaye's plans. He smacked his face again with some force, and Aaron woke up again to the pain and torture. Kay raised Aaron's head again and forced him to look at him. Aaron's eyes opened a little, and the look that Kaye saw was one of utter defeat.

-0-0-0-

Reid had been found by the road side where he had been dumped from the car that Kaye was driving. He had been found shortly after by a cyclist who called nine one one on his cell. The ambulance paramedics at first thought that the man was dead. he had an old badly infected chest wound that poured pus when they moved him. it looked as if an attempt had been made to clean it up, but the smell was overpowering, and when they realised that the men was alive, they wondered how.

They loaded him into the ambulance and gave the man pain killers The man was awake but in a delirium, crying out for someone called Aaron. One of the medics wrote down what he was saying in case the man died, he could tell the next of kin.

They radioed ahead for a bed to be made ready in Intensive care, and Reid was rushed through the streets to the nearest hospital. He looked as if he had been beaten and the cuts to his face were stitched as they drove through the streets.

In the ER he was cleaned up and his vitals checked. He was breathing very slowly and had septicaemia from the chest wound. They passed him up to the ICU and doubted that he would make it through the night.

-0-0-0-

Aaron was still hanging . His tormentor was watching him and writing notes – how long he remained unconscious, how quickly he fainted. Aaron silently endured, awaiting death. He wanted to scream, but he refused to give Kaye the satisfaction.

'You are very strong, Hotchner.' Kaye said, pulling up his head to speak to him. Aaron's eyes were open but unseeing. They were glazed over, dead. Aaron could hear him but he was in too much agony to respond. He was hanging on his dislocated shoulders and longed for release. He was consumed by guilt over Reid's death, and just wanted to give up.

If only he could have loved him.

Images of Emily flashed before him. The only woman that he had loved. Why..... why..... why.....

Kaye pulled on the chain which yanked at Aaron's arms. This time Aaron did scream, even his strength wasn't enough, and he fainted with the renewed pain. Kaye pushed him so that he swung on the chain.

'I'll see you in the morning.' he grinned. And he left the room.


	7. Rescue

**Merciless  
**Chapter 7  
Rescue

'_**You took something perfect and painted it red' – song lyrics - **__**Daniel Merriweather (**____**Red)**_

Aaron was drifting in and out of consciousness as he hung by his arms twisted behind him. When he was awake the pain was excruciating, and the guilt overwhelming. He had caused the death of someone whom he loved like a brother. That man had died knowing that he, Aaron, could never love him in a romantic way. Tears fell from Aaron's eyes and splashed in the blood on the floor. This was his fault, and no one else's. He had as good as killed Reid by his own hand by his disobedience to his captor.

His racking sobs hurt his bruised chest, and he tried to take shallow breaths. He slipped into blessed unconsciousness where there was no pain. Only blame and misery.

-0-0-0-

'This is the home address that we have for Edward Kaye.' Emily said, as the SUV pulled up outside a dilapidated duplex on the edge of town. All the houses in the street were pretty much in the same condition, they all looked as if they were about to fall down.

The three of them got out of the car and Emily and Dave went to the front door while Morgan took the alley that led to the back of the house.

Dave hammered on the door. 'FBI! Edward Kaye, please open the door.'

They stood listening to silence for a few seconds, then Dave tried the door. It was locked, so he raised his foot and kicked it open.

The inside was dark. Emily and Dave both had their flash lights which they shone around the large entrance hall.

The place was a filthy mess. Old food boxes littered the floor, and rats sniffed around them. in the corner of one room downstairs there was a sleeping bag on a dirty mattress.

But no Kaye, and no Aaron.

'The only other address we have is the shipping address.' Morgan said. 'Is it likely that Hotch is being held there?'

'Let's go find out.' Dave said. 'If not, we will have to stake out the place until we find Kaye, and have him tell us.'

Dave was feeling despondent as they went back to the SUV.

-0-0-0-

Aaron tried to keep his foot pressed on the floor, but it was slippery with blood and each time he slipped, it pulled at his damaged shoulders again. He felt free to scream and cry without the UnSub there watching him, but he had no energy to do anything other than stay awake.

He didn't think that this kind of pain was possible to endure, and he wondered how long the man was going to leave him before he came back to release him and try another torture on him. Or maybe this was the final one and he was going to be left until he died of shock.

When the door opened again, he fainted with the fear of more suffering.

-0-0-0-

The shipping address turned out to be a large old house in a road by itself outside town. As they walked up the drive towards it, Emily felt a shiver run through her spine. The place looked ghostly in the mist rising from the ground round about the house, and ite solitude made it perfect for a torture chamber. There would be no one to hear the screams of the victims.

Aaron!

Her stomach suddenly turned and she thought that she was going to be sick.

_Please let Aaron be here......_

They went up the wide steps to the main door on the front of the building. The smell of rottenness seemed to pervade the very bricks of which the house was built. Emily glanced at the others to see if they too were feeling the same. Morgan's forehead was furrowed and Dave's hand was white on his gun.

Morgan tried the door. It was not locked.

'Watch your backs.' Dave said as the three of them entered the old house.

The inside of the house had once been magnificent. Now the tapestries were rotten hanging from the walls, and the velvet furniture was mouldy and smelt of damp.

One by one they checked the rooms. It was Emily who eventually found Aaron.

'Oh my good god.' she whispered, her torch shining into the dark room.

Dave and Morgan rushed to her side.

'What is it Em....Oh god....' Morgan said.

He and Dave rushed past her to Aaron who was hanging unconscious in the middle of the room. Blood was pooled at his feet, one of which was smashed so as to be unrecognisable

'Take his weight, Derek. I'll get this chain off.'

Morgan gripped Aaron around his hips and took the weight off his shoulders. With shaking hands, Dave detached the chain from Aaron's wrists. They laid him down on the floor.

Emily stood shaking at the door, trying to open her phone to call the EMT. Her hands were trembling with fear. At last she managed to open her cell and call them.

Aaron was lying down on the floor, his arms above his head. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and the muscles in his arms and shoulders were twisted out of shape. There was severe bruising around his shoulders, but that wasn't the injury that sickened Dave. The deep cut to his forehead, and the crushed hand and foot made him want to throw up.

'Oh god, Aaron. What has he done to you?'

Morgan was speechless with shock, unable for a second to do anything.

'Aaron, Aaron, it's Dave. You're safe now.'

Gently and with a tenderness usually reserved for lovers, Dave brushed Aaron's hair away from his eyes, and touched his face.

'Can you hear me, dear friend?'

Very slowly, Aaron opened his eyes and looked blankly up at Dave.

'Stay with me now, Aaron.'

'Dave?'

'Yes, it's me. No! Don't close your eyes. Stay awake. The medics will be here soon. You're safe now. Stay with me.'

Aaron fought to keep his eyes open and look up at his friend. He was tired and wanted to go to sleep, but Dave was talking to him, keeping him conscious.

'M-my fault..... he's dead...... my fault....'

Tears ran from Aaron's eyes in his distress. Emily stepped forwards, and knelt by him.

'Hotch, it's me, Emily. You're going to be fine now. No one is dead. Reid is safe.'

Aaron turned his head towards the voice he loved and lost. The woman who hurt him. Again.

'Emily....' he breathed.

She reached above his head and took his uninjured hand in hers.

'It's ok. Reid is in hospital. He didn't die.' She squeezed his hand gently. Aaron blinked back the tears.

Closing his eyes was a blessing. Reid was alive? Aaron felt a deep joy that he never imagined he would feel again. His team, the people he loved and protected, had come for him, and Reid was alive.

The sound of the ambulance in the distance, and Aaron fainted.

-0-0-0-

Aaron didn't regain consciousness as they put him in the ambulance. Dave rode with him, Emily and Morgan followed in the SUV. He was intubated and an IV was set up in his wrist. He needed surgery for his hand and foot, and the wound around his head needed to be stitched. They told Dave the extent of his injuries. None of them were life threatening in themselves, but his body had gone into shock and his systems were closing down.

It was about five minutes into his journey when his heart finally stopped.

It took several attempts to get it going again. Dave watched in desperate fear as Aaron fought to live.

'Aaron, stay with us..... We need you.' Dave whispered under his breath as Aaron's body jerked off the gurney for the third time.

It was a journey Dave hoped he would never have to endure again. As the heart monitor began to beep again instead of the terrifying single note, Dave realised that he had been holding his breath.

As the medics moved from his side, he moved in and took his hand. His arms were by his side now, and his shoulders looked misshapen and blackened with bruising. Dave wondered at the strength of this man who had endured so much, yet still lived

-0-0-0-

Later, after Aaron had been rushed up to the OR, the three sat in the relative's waiting room, waiting for news on Aaron, or Reid.

Reid was in Intensive Care, too sick for visitors, although they had been allowed to watch for a little while through the window at Spencer, pale and sick, fighting for his life. He was in a drug induced coma, because he became agitated, crying out for Aaron, when ever he was awake.

They said it had been touch and go with him at first, and he was still critical. The antibiotics were slowing down the septicaemia, but he had to fight himself. Dave looked at the notes that the medic had written down from Reid's delirious ramblings. They were all about Aaron and his love for him. He had folded the sheet and put it in his pocket. There was no need for anyone else to know.

After hours of waiting, the doctor finally came to see them. He looked grim, and the three prepared themselves for the worst.

'We have saved his hand and foot for now, although we will need to keep a close eye on the blood flow. His shoulders are re positioned, and the wound to his head has been stitched. But he is very weak. His body is in shock, and he has a long way to go before he is out of the woods.'

'Can we see him?' Emily said stepping forwards.

'He's still in a coma, but you can sit with him and talk to him. He might be able to hear you.'

The three agents followed the doctor through the corridors of the hospital. They stood outside the room and looked through the window. Hotch was lying on the bed, his head bandaged, and his hand and foot splinted. A thin white sheet covered him, which seemed to accentuate the paleness of his skin. Monitors around him beat time with his heart, and the drip steadily infused him with drugs and fluids. He looked dead.

Emily went to the door and opened it.

'I need to be with him.' she said. Dave inclined his head slightly.

'Morgan and I will go back and wait for Kaye to return. You stay here with Reid and Hotch.'

Emily went to sit next to him. She took his hand in hers.

'Aaron, it's Emily.' she said. 'I've been to see Reid. He's close by, and he is going to be ok.'

Aaron's eyes fluttered just for a moment, but he didn't open them. He made a sound in his throat. She squeezed his hand.

'The doctors say you will be ok, Aaron. You just need time, and I will be here for you.' She paused. Then, 'I'm so sorry for what I said. I do love you, and I have missed you so much, and been so afraid for you.'

This time Aaron's eyes did open. He tried to turn his head to look at her, and his dark eyes filled with emotion.

Emily kissed his cheek, her own tears falling onto his face.

Aaron tried to turn away.

His heart was beating faster as he felt her closeness, but he couldn't take the chance that she would hurt him again. He wanted her to go. He felt the beat of his heart in his bruised injured chest, and he tried to pull his hand away.

It was too much for him, and his hear fibrillated.

Suddenly the room was filled with the sound of alarms.


	8. Together

A/N I'm finding writing very difficult at the moment – I can't stop thinking about the season finale. If anyone has any insider knowledge about the fate of our beloved Hotch, please let me know......

**Merciless  
**Chapter 8  
Together

"_**Ignore death up to the last moment; then, when it can't be ignored any longer, have yourself squirted full of morphia and shuffle off in a **__**coma**__**. Thoroughly sensible, humane and scientific, eh?**__**" – Aldous Huxley**_

Rossi and Morgan travelled straight back to the house where Aaron had been held. They hoped it wasn't too late, but as they drove close to the building, they saw another car already there.

Kaye's car.

'He's here already.' Dave said as Morgan stopped the car fifty yards down the lane.

Both men got out of the car and crept up to the front door where a short time before Aaron had been carried out. They took up positions on either side of the door. Morgan leaned across and pushed it open.

'Go!' whispered Dave, and the two men entered the darkened building.

Suddenly Kaye was standing in front of them, Hotch's gun levelled at them.

'Drop your weapon.' Morgan said.

The man made no move to obey, he swung the weapon slowly so that it was pointing directly at Dave.

-0-0-0-

'Wait outside.' the doctor snapped at Emily as she watched in horror as the crash team fought to save Aaron. Slowly she backed out of the room, her eyes on the man on the bed, wishing things had turned out differently, wishing that she had given him time after the rapes to come to terms with what had happened to him, and not acted so rashly before. She was sure that she was in love with him, but was it simply because he was in danger again?

She had blown any chance she had with him, and possibly lost him completely.

The door closed on her, and she moved to the window. But the blind had been pulled and she couldn't see what was happening.

_Please live, Aaron..... give me another chance...._

-0-0-0-

'50cc Epinephrin.'

'Epi given.'

'Charge three hundred.......clear!'

Aaron's battered body once again jerked from the table, but this time, his heart began to beat rhythmically. The crash team stood back from the bed and watched Aaron's chest rise and fall.

They'd saved him.......this time.

'Obs at ten minute intervals.... no visitors.'

-0-0-0-

Two guns were fired at the same time. Kaye fell, a neat hole drilled in the centre of his forehead. Dave fell also, Kaye's bullet hitting him in the centre of his chest. Morgan kicked Kaye's gun away from him, at the same time calling for the EMT.

'Officer down!' he shouted into his phone, giving the address of the house.

Dave's chest was bubbling as his breath escaped through the hole that Kaye's bullet had made. Dave's hands fluttering over the hole where blood was spurting in time to his heart beat.

'Dave! Stay awake now! Don't you leave me!' Morgan pressed down on the wound, wondering how the hell the team was down three men.

Dave coughed blood onto his lips, and stared desperately at Morgan. He whispered something to him. Morgan leaned closer to hear what he was saying.

'Take...... c-care of..... Aaron....'

'No! David, don't you go to sleep! Stay awake, you will be fine.' He felt blood bubble up around his fingers as he pressed onto the wound. He hoped that the ambulance would hurry. He wasn't sure if Dave was going to last long.

-0-0-0-

The doctors had withheld the benzodiazepine drug that was keeping Reid unconscious, just to see whether he would be able to manage the pain while awake. Emily was sitting at his side. The doctors wouldn't allow her to sit with Aaron any more. They said it was distressing him having her there, but they didn't know the whole story. Emily's eyes were red and puffy with crying. She desperately wanted to show Aaron how sorry she was, but they wouldn't allow her near him.

She sat with reid and waited for him to wake up. She wiped at her eyes. She didn't want Reid to know why she was crying.

After several minutes, Reid's eyes fluttered open. He stared at the ceiling, as if unsure where he was. Emily took his hand.

'You are safe now, Spencer.' she said. He flicked his eyes sideways so as to look at her without turning his head. He tightened his fingers around Emily's hand.

'Aaron is here.' she said. 'He is very sick but he's alive, Spencer.'

Reid was trying to speak but the tube in his throat stopped him.

'Don't speak, spencer. The tube is helping you to breathe. You are on antibiotics, and you have been very poorly. But you are getting better now.'

At that moment, the doctor came in to check Reid's obs.

'I want to take the tube out now, Doctor Reid,' he said, 'but I will have to monitor you closely to make sure that you are ready for it. I don't want to leave you on the ventilator any longer than necessary.' He leaned over Reid, and instructed him to cough, and slid the tube out of his throat. Reid moaned as the tube came away, and coughed again. The doctor turned to Emily.

'Give him sips of water, and he should be able to speak soon.'

As the doctor left, Emily filled a glass with water and held it at Reid's lips. he sipped at it gratefully. It occurred to Emily that they were love rivals. She wondered if Aaron would end up with Reid.

She wanted him, but she doubted that she would have another chance with Aaron. She felt tears threaten again as she remembered the haunting scene of Aaron dying in front of her. She fought them back.

'How are you feeling, Spencer?' she asked, forcing a smile.

Reid turned to her.

'Throat hurts.' he croaked. 'Want to see Aaron.'

-0-0-0-

Dave's eyes rolled in his head as Morgan tried to keep him awake. As the medics arrived, Morgan stepped back. They worked on Dave as he lay on the floor, intubated him, set up IV's in both wrists, and began a saline drip to counter the blood loss. Then they lifted him onto a gurney and took him to the ambulance. Morgan placed a crime scene poster across the front door of the house, and cordoned it off with crime scene tape. Then he got into the SUV and followed the ambulance to the hospital.

Dave was taken straight to the OR where the bullet that was embedded close to his aortic arch was carefully removed. Half a centimetre either way and Dave would have bled out at the scene. He had a haemothorax which was drained, and his lung re inflated. They anticipated that he would make a fairly good recovery. But in the meantime, he was sent to the Intensive Care Unit.

'What happened?' Emily demanded of Morgan as he sat beside her in Spencer's room. Spencer was sleeping. He told her what went down at the house, how they had killed Kaye, but Dave had been shot.

'He's going to be ok though. The bullet has been removed, and he's breathing on his own. He's in the ward room next to Hotch.' He said, then added, 'I thought that you would be with Hotch.'

'He's not allowed visitors.' she said, omitting that it was her being there that had almost sent the man over the edge. 'While Reid's sleeping, I'll go and see Dave.' she said, and she and Morgan left Reid to sleep and went up a floor to where Dave was recovering. He smiled weakly at them as they entered his room.

'Hey.' he said, 'How are the others?'

They told him what they knew about Reid. 'Hotch is in a bad way.' Emily said.

As they were speaking, a nurse entered the room and released the brakes that were holding Rossi's bed.

'Special request from above.' she said with a smile. 'We have been asked that all your injured agents be put in a ward together. We cannot move Agent Hotchner at the moment, bt as soon as we are able, he will join his colleagues.'

'Who requested it? Morgan asked.

'The name Strauss was mentioned.' the nurse said. 'I don't know who he is, but he certainly has clout.'

Morgan and Emily exchanged smiles. 'Clout' was right. They followed the bed out into the corridor and through another door into a larger sixe ward. The nurse applied the brakes and ledt to fetch Spencer.

-0-0-0-

Aaron didn't want to wake up. He was hurt, confused and upset by Emily. He had fallen for her, and she rejected him as soon as he was well enough to come to work. He didn't want to face her, but a voice was calling to him, calling him out of the comfort where he was enveloped in velvet nothingness. It was taking care of him, shielding him.

And there was Reid. That beautiful man who had given his life for him, and he who had the means to save him let him down.

The nothingness did nothing to shield him from the guilt and distress of watching him be beaten to death while he refused to do what was needed to save him.

He wanted to sink further, free himself from the guilt that was eating him up.

Hands were touching him as they adjusted his drip and checked his obs. Someone was touching his hand...... Emily?

Reid?

Was any of it real?

I am so sorry..... I am so sorry.....

Aaron refused the call and slipped further down towards peace.

-0-0-0-

Reid and Dave were now side by side. Reid wanted to know where Hotch was.

'He did make it, didn't he?

'He made it, Spencer.' Emily said. 'But he is very sick. I don't know when they will be bringing him down.'

'I think he will recover better if he is here with his friends.' Morgan said. 'If he could hear us chatting he might come out of the coma.'

Dave rang the buzzer he had by his bed.

'Please can we have Aagent Hotchner here with us too? I think he will benefit from having us around him.'

The nurse cast a glance at Emily. She had heard what went down the last time she was allowed contact with him.

'I'll have to ask.' she said, and left the room to make enquiries. A few minutes later she returned.

'They are going to bring him down now.' she said. Then to Emily, 'Can I have a word?'

Emily followed her out of the room.

'I have been asked to ask you not to speak to Agent Hotchner. He is in a very vulnerable condition, and if his heart gives out again, he will probably die.'

Tears sprang to Emily's eyes as she nodded 'yes'. The last thing she wanted was to hurt him any more. They were right. She should keep away from him.

She stayed out in the corridor, and watched when ten minutes later Hotch was wheeled out of the elevator towards the ward. He looked so pale and sick, lying so still, with only the ventilator making a sound, she wanted to take him in her arms. But he had turned from her, and she could hardly blame him. She followed him into the room.

Hotch was put next to Reid, at the end. The beds barely fit in the room, so Reid and Hotch's bed were touching. Reid turned to him.

-0-0-0-

Aaron knew that he had been moved. The air smelt different here – warmer. He heard voices and he tried to separate them.

Dave. he heard his good and loyal friend Dave. He could hear Morgan laughing. Emily was there, but she was talking to someone else.

Reid? Could he hear Reid?

It wasn't possible. Reid had died. He had seen it.

He felt a hand touch his, and he wrapped his fingers around it.

Reid was talking to him. It was him. He had survived.

The nothingness sucked him down and he fought against it. He needed to be sure that Reid was alive.

Would Reid understand what he had done? Would he be able to forgive him?

Would he free him from the guilt?

His eyes were taped shut, but he knew that tears were forcing their way past the tape. He could feel them run down the side of his head and dampen his hair.

Reid had survived? He needed to know.

-0-0-0-

'He's coming round!' Morgan said, and he leaned across and pulled the tape gently away from his eye lids. Hotch opened his eyes and looked up at his friend.

Slowly and painfully, he turned his head to see whose hand he was holding, and he looked into the soft hazel eyes of Spencer.

'Welcome home, Aaron.' he said, and squeezed his hand.

**END**

A/N I will continue the angst/love issues in my next story. Love you all, please review....Aggie x


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